Reciprocating conveyors

ABSTRACT

To overcome the problems associated with conveying metal chip, especially cast-iron chip, the reciprocating conveyor is provided with means whereby, on the return stroke of the conveying rod, a free passage, effective more particularly for fine chip, is left between the entraining means.

United States Patent Wissmann Mar. 19, 1974 [54] RECIPROCATING CONVEYORSFOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [761 lnvemo" "P8 wissmannr 406 vios-in890,408 1/1943 France 198/221 Fmchllln n g 25. 1,552,972 10/1967 FranceMuhlenheuweg, Germany 1,212,868 3/1966 Germany 198/221 [22] Flled: 1971Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk [21] Appl. No.: 213,226 AssistantExaminer-W. Scott Carson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Meyer, Tilberry & Body[52] US. Cl. 198/221 51 Int. (:1. B65g 25/08 [57] ABSTRACT, [5 8] Fieldof Search 198/221 To Overcome the Problems assoclated wlth conveyingmetal chip, especially cast-iron chip, the reciprocating 5 ReferencesCited conveyor is provided with means whereby, on the re- UNITED STATESPATENTS turn stroke of the conveying rod, a free passage, effec- 2 392340 M946 S In 198mm x tive more particularly for fine chip, is leftbetween the m1 3,158,257 11/1964 Peras .7 entrammg means 3,659,7025/1972 Assauer l98/221 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENIEB "AR 1 9 I974SHEET 1 BF 3 lli.

Fig.2

PATENIEUIAR 1 9 m4 3797537 sum 2 or 3 Fig. 3

PAIENTEDHAR 19 1914 v 11797637 sum 3 BF 3 Fig. 5

1 RECIPROCATING CONVEYORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to a bulk conveyor more particularly for metalchip and similarscrap.

It has been found that metal chip or swarf and similar scrap can besatisfactorily conveyed by means of very simply constructed conveyors inwhich a conveyor rod having entraining means reciprocates along thebottom of a trough. On their operative stroke, the entraining means,which are in plan substantially V-shaped, push the material before them,and on their return stroke they thrust the material laterally andbackwards.

It has been found by long experience that fine chip i.e., mainlycast-iron chip may cause difficulties in such conveyors if the fine chipforms all or a large proportion of the total scrap. Cast-iron chipbehaves very differently from other metal chip when being conveyed.Woolly, loose and similar chip is fairly easy to push back and to theside, having some degree of elasticity, but accumulations of cast-ironchip tend to consolidate when pressed and to present solid walls orlayers to the moving entraining means and thus jam the conveyor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to enableconveyors of the kind specified to be used satisfactorily for theconveyance of fine chip i.e., cast-iron chip. It is another object ofthe invention to enable conveyors suitable for cast-iron chips to dealsatisfactorily too with the various other form of chip, for exampleloose and woolly chip, whether mixed or separately. According to theinvention, therefore, on the return stroke of the conveyor rod a freepassage, effective more particularly for fine chip, is left between theentraining means. Advantageously, the passage extends below the centreof the conveyor rod right down to or near to the trough base.

There is, therefore, a kind of valve action as the conveyor rodreciprocates. On the return movement of the rod the chip can readilyenter the V-space and the same remains open, whereas on the operative orconveying stroke compression of the chip in the V-space, which is nownarrowing as far as the chip is concerned, means that such space closes.The chip starts to back up and bridge as in a narrowing bunker exit. Thechip in the V-space is, therefore, prevented from passing through thepassage and is, therefore, entrained in the direction of the conveyingstroke of the rod as though the passage was being kept closed like avalve.

When the conveying rod changes over to its return movement, the back upand the bridging are cancelled by friction on the base in associationwith the expanding V-shaped space, so that the passage reopens and thechips can pass therethrough into the V-shaped space.

Advantageously, for transfer of the chip on the return stroke into theexpanding V-shaped space bounded by the entraining means, the edgesthereof are inclined. This feature facilitates transfer of the chip intothe V- shaped space and opposes chip consolidation, the chip beingloosened, for example by being raised, as it goes between the entrainingmeans into the free V-shaped space which is expanding against thedirection of movement. The chip, therefore, changes over very rapidlyfrom a state of incipient consolidation into a state suitable fortrickling that is to some extent from a quasi- 2 solid into aquasi-liquid state. The chip in the V-shaped space is, therefore,prevented from discharging through the passage and is, therefore,entrained on the conveying stroke as though the passage wasbeing keptclosed by a valve.

When the rod changes over to the return movement, friction against thebase together with the increasing size of the V-shaped space obviatesback up and bridging, and so the passage reopens and the chip cantrickle therethrough.

One way of increasing the efficiency of the novel system is to increasethe number of entraining means engaging in a conveying cross-section,preferably by increasing the entraining means to two pairs of such meansso that each of the gaps which such pairs bound and which expand in thedirection of conveyance is associated with a rearward passage, the innerpair being less inclined to the conveying rod or centre-plane of thetrough than the outer pair.

It is important for the passage to be present in the bottom part of thetrough i.e., beside and below the conveying rod, so that on the returnstroke the fine chip at the bottom of the trough can enter the wideninggap. For the same reason, the inclined edges of the entraining meansextend rearwardly to near the trough base.

Further advantages in the manufacture of the entraining means areprovided if the same are devised as triangles, which can be cut fromstrips of metal of a width approximately equal to the height of thetriangles, the same being cut alternately with the apex pointing in theopposite direction, wastage being very reduced.

A considerable advantage is that the effects described are achievedwithout moving entraining means or flaps or the like; there is nothingagainst the use of hinged entraining means for instance, if there isgoing to be very thorough servicing although general experience is thateven after a relatively short period of operation the chip jams thepivots, whereafter the entraining means function as rigid elementsanyway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING For a better understanding of thepresent invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect,reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevational view of a conveyor rod having twoentraining means, each in one conveying cross-section,

FIG. 2 shows a front elevation of the conveyor rod of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the conveyor rod of FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIGS. 4 to,6 show views corresponding to those of FIGS. 1 to 3 of aconveyor rod having paired entraining means.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3 ofthe drawing, as'is conventional in conveyors of this kind, a conveyorrod 2 is reciprocable along the bottom of a trough 1. Entraining means 4are secured to the conveyor rod 2 by webs 3; the entrainment means 4 arein shape triangular with their apex 4a pointing forwardly and upwardly.Rear edge 4b descends as far as the trough base or as far as troughwearing lining 5. A passage 6 remains between the means 4 at therearward end thereof. Pins 7 on the conveyor rod 2 and guards 8 on thewall of trough 1 complete the equipment.

Referring to the plan view of FIG. 3, a V-shaped space 10 between thetwo means 4 of any conveying cross-section narrows for chips entering onthe conveying stroke and expands for chip which trickles in through thepassage 6 on the return stroke and which spills over the top of theedges 4b.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 of the drawing, two pairsof entraining means 4, 14 are secured to the conveyor rod 2; the innerpair can be directly welded to rod 2 at a place 2a. The entraining meansbound expanding and/or narrowing spaces 10, 11 and 12 which terminate infree passages l5, l6 and 17.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is of use for fine chip, cast-ironor the like, for other kinds of chip and for chip mixtures.

Very advantageously, the conveying rod, instead of being associated withfixed guides, is so mounted as to be free to move in the trough with theentraining members resting on it, so that the same can adjust themselvesto suit existing resistancies.

Preferably, the conveying rod has a cross-section which is closed at thebottom (square, round bar section), so that chip cannot collect in thehollow interior of the rod and cause the same to move upwards.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, manychanges in construction and widely differing embodiments andapplications of the invention will suggest themselves without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and thedescription herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be inany sense limiting.

I claim:

1. ln a bulk conveyor including a conveyor trough having a bottom, aconveyor rod reciprocable longitudinally along said trough and beinglocated above the bottom of the trough, said rod being reciprocable in aforward feeding direction and a rearward retracting direction,entraining means attached to said rod for feeding material along saidtrough during movement of said rod in said forward feeding direction,said entraining means being substantially V-shaped in plan view andhaving a base facing in said rearward retracting direction, saidentraining means including a free passage at said base thereof whichpassage extends beside and below the center of said rod to said bottomof said trough.

2. A conveyor including an elongated trough having a bottom, a conveyorrod reciprocable longitudinally along said trough in a forward feedingdirection and a rearward retracting direction, entraining means attachedto said rod for feeding material along said trough during movement ofsaid rod in said forward feeding direction; said entraining means beingsubstantially V-shaped in plan view and having a free passagetherethrough adjacent said bottom of said trough, said entraining meansincluding a pair of plate members, each plate member having (a) atriangular peripheral shape, (b) a bottom edge including a forward endand a rear end, (0) a front edge sloping upwardly and forwardly fromsaid forward end, and (d) a trailing edge sloping upwardly and forwardlyfrom said rear end to intersect said front edge whereby said entrainingmeans provides inner feeding surfaces facing said forward feedingdirection and sloping toward said passage for feeding material towardsaid passage during movement of said rod in said forward feedingdirection and outer deflecting surfaces facing said rearward retractingdirection and sloping away from said passage for deflecting materialaway from said passage during movement of said rod in said rearwardretracting direction.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of said passages.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said bottom edges slope upwardly towardsaid forward feeding direction from said passage.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent' 3,797,637Dated March 19, 1974 Inventor) Dr. Ing Kurt Wissmann It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Cover page, first column, correct the inventor 5 name and address bydeleting "Ing Kurt Wissmann, 406 Vios-in Finchliln MishlenhenwigzZS,Muhlenheuweg, Germany" and substitute therefor Dr. Ing. Kurt Wissmann,

4053 Suchteln-Hagenbro'ich Muhlenheuweg 25 Federal Republic of GermanySigned and sealed this 29th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents FORM PO-10 O USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 [1.5. GOVERNMENT PRINTINGOFFICE I969 O3Gl-3Sl,

1. In a bulk conveyor including a conveyor trough having a bottom, aconveyor rod reciprocable longitudinally along said trough and beinglocated above the bottom of the trough, said rod being reciprocable in aforward feeding direction and a rearward retracting direction,entraining means attached to said rod for feeding material along saidtrough during movement of said rod in said forward feeding direction,said entraining means being substantially V-shaped in plan view andhaving a base facing in said rearward retracting direction, saidentraining means including a free passage at said base thereof whichpassage extends beside and below the center of said rod to said bottomof said trough.
 2. A conveyor including an elongated trough having abottom, a conveyor rod reciprocable longitudinally along said trough ina forward feeding direction and a rearward retracting direction,entraining means attached to said rod for feeding material along saidtrough during movement of said rod in said forward feeding direction;said entraining means being substantially V-shaped in plan view andhaving a free passage therethrough adjacent said bottom of said trough,said entraining means including a pair of plate members, each platemember having (a) a triangular peripheral shape, (b) a bottom edgeincluding a forward end and a rear end, (c) a front edge slopingupwardly and forwardly from said forward end, and (d) a trailing edgesloping upwardly and forwardly from said rear end to intersect saidfront edge whereby said entraining means provides inner feeding surfacesfacing said forward feeding direction and sloping toward said passagefor feeding material toward said passage during movement of said rod insaid forward feeding direction and outer deflecting surfaces facing saidrearward retracting direction and sloping away from said passage fordeflecting material away from said passage during movement of said rodin said rearward retracting direction.
 3. The device of claim 2 whereinthere are a plurality of said passages.
 4. The device of claim 2 whereinsaid bottom edges slope upwardly toward said forward feeding directionfrom said passage.